OTTAWA - René J. Basque, Q.C., a partner in the Moncton law firm Actus Law Droit, becomes president of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) at the close of the 2016 CBA Legal Conference in Ottawa on August 14. He will serve a one-year term, succeeding Janet Fuhrer of Ottawa.
Quick facts
- Fluently bilingual, René Basque was admitted to the bar in 1989.
- He is the first Acadian to head the CBA, a national member association.
- Basque pledges to make the CBA a “big tent” in which all groups and individuals will be included and feel heard.
- “Being a francophone from New Brunswick, I am very sensitive – and very interested – in making sure that the CBA is responsive to the origins, to the culture, and to the individuality of all its members,” he says.
- At a time when the CBA itself is poised to undergo important changes, he promises to be an agent of change who will put the needs of the CBA’s members at the heart of the decision-making process.
- “Our efforts will be directed to connecting our members with the people, the knowledge and the skills that will help them practise law successfully in Canada,” he says. “We will carry on cultivating an inclusive, engaged professional community – both in person and online. This is the heart of our identity as an organization.”
Associated links
Canadian Bar Association
CBA 2016 Legal Conference
Biography of René Basque
Brief biography of René Basque
Education
- Bachelor of Business Administration degree (1980), Université de Moncton
- Bachelor of Law degree (1988), Université de Moncton
Professional interests
- Regulatory work, corporate litigation, outside corporate counsel and employment law.
- Was Public Intervener on behalf of the Attorney General of New Brunswick on issues in front of the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board.
- Past board member of the New Brunswick Law Society, Canadian Bar Insurance Association and the Canadian Bar Association’s excellence awards committee.
Awards
- Pro Bono Award from the CBA (New Brunswick Branch)
- Douglas Miller Award from the CBA
- Silver Keystone Award from the Boys and Girls Club
- Queen’s Jubilee medal (2012) for volunteer work.
Outside interests
- Has served as chair of the board of directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Moncton.
- Has served as national vice-chair of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada.
- Former president of Downtown Moncton Centre-Ville Inc.
- Former member of the board of directors of the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce.
About the CBA
The CBA, the voice of the legal profession in Canada, is dedicated to support for the rule of law, and improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 36,000 lawyers, notaries in Quebec, law teachers, and law students from across Canada are members.